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This page last updated July 9 2007
2006-1026 - NZ National
Party - Hodgson dodgy on Lake Alice payout
by Jonathan Coleman - Continued delays in paying out compensation to Paul
Zentfeld, a claimant in the Lake Alice compensation case, are completely
unsatisfactory, says National's Associate Health spokesman (Mental Health),
Dr Jonathan Coleman.
2006-1011 - NZ Herald -
Ministry to appeal Lake Alice compensation ruling
The Ministry of Health is to appeal against a court ruling that it must
increase compensation to a former Lake
Alice psychiatric
hospital patient by more than $34,000. The ministry said yesterday that there
was an error of law in the Wellington District Court ruling on the case
brought by Paul Zentveld that his compensation be restored to nearly
$115,000.
2006-1006 - Stuff - Date set for former
psychiatric patients' action against govt
NZPA - One of the lawyers representing around 350 former psychiatric patients
seeking compensation from the Government says the first cases will go before
the courts next year. The first two cases have been set down for October
2007. The former patients are alleging they suffered physical, sexual and
mental abuse at mental institutions, while in state care. In 2001, the
Government apologised and paid compensation to a group of former patients of
the Lake Alice Hospital
child and adolescent unit, near Marton, which closed in the late 1970s. It
later extended this to a second group, bringing to $10.7 million the total
paid to 183 people. The group of around 350 former patients who were cared
for in other state-run institutions say they too should be paid compensation.
2006-0922 - National Business Review -
PM's conduct questioned
by Deborah Hill Cone - A Wellington District Court judge has exposed a secret
deal in which the government took a cut of millions of dollars from
compensation payments to former mental hospital patients. In a bold judgment
out this week Judge Tom Broadmore has criticised what he describes as the "political"
decision made at the highest levels of government to secretly take 30% of the
compensation payments from victims of mistreatment at government psychiatric
institution, Lake
Alice, to cover
non-existent "legal fees."
2006-0922 - NZ National
Party - Lake Alice deal: Hodgson must explain
Press release by Dr Jonathon Coleman - The Minister of Health needs to come
clean and explain to the public exactly how the Government reached a decision
to withhold money awarded to second-round claimants in the Lake Alice case,
says National Party Associate Health spokesman responsible for mental health,
Dr Jonathan Coleman.
2006-0915 - Dominion Post -
Mistreated ex-patient given extra $35,000
A former Lake Alice patient, mistreated at the
institution, has won a further payout of nearly $35,000 from the Health
Ministry. Wellington District Court judge Tom Broadmore has ruled that Paul
Zentveld should have been paid $114,912 in damages for his mistreatment at
the psychiatric hospital between 1972 and 1978. Instead, he had received only
$80,438
2006-0914 - Radio NZ - Lake Alice
payout topped back up by court
A former Lake Alice patient has won a four year
battle to have his compensation paid out in full. Paul Zentveld was awarded
115-thousand dollars in compensation for the way he was treated during his
stay at the psychiatric hospital near Bulls
2006-0914 - NZ
National Party - Health Ministry $3 million payout bungle
Press release by Dr Jonathon Coleman - National Party Associate Health
spokesman Dr Jonathan Coleman says a Ministry of Health bungle could cost
taxpayers more than $3 million in extra compensation payments.
2006-0913 - NZ Parliament -
Questions And Answers
In resonse by Pete hodgson - ......The member need only look at today's media
coverage regarding the horrors of Lake
Alice Hospital
to know that deinstitutionalisation not only costs more but improves people's
lives.
2006-0913 - NZ Herald - Lake Alice
patient's payout up $34,000
by Martin Johnston - A former patient of the notorious Lake Alice
psychiatric hospital near Wanganui has won an increase of more than $34,000
in his payout. Aucklander Paul Zentveld, 45, has won the top-up in a ruling
in which the judge criticises the Crown's position as "Kafkaesque".
2006-0829 - NZ Herald -
Psychiatrist must pay $55,000 after sex abuse case
by Martin Johnston - Former New Zealand psychiatrist Dr Selwyn Leeks has been
ordered to pay $55,000 in damages for sexually abusing a former patient. The
payment was ordered by an Australian court which found that Dr Leeks
"took advantage ... of a disturbed psychiatric patient"
2006-0828 - Waikato Times
- Damages ruling heartening
The Citizens Commission on Human Rights, which encouraged former Lake Alice
Hospital patients to complain to police about a psychiatrist they said abused
them, is heartened by an Australian court decision against him.
2006-0828 - The Press -
Damages awarded
An organisation encouraging former Lake
Alice Hospital
patients to complain to police about a psychiatrist who they say abused them
is heartened by an Australian court decision against him.
2006-0828 - Manawatu
Standard - Court rules against doctor
An organisation encouraging former Lake
Alice Hospital
patients to complain to police about a psychiatrist is heartened by an
Australian court decision against him. The Melbourne County Court has awarded
$55,000 to a woman who said Selwyn Leeks sexually abused her as a patient in
1979 and 1980.
2006-0828 - Dominion Post -
Victory in sex abuse case gives lift to group
by Colin Patterson - An organisation encouraging former Lake Alice
Hospital patients to
complain to police about a psychiatrist they say abused them is heartened by
an Australian court decision against him. The Melbourne County Court has
awarded $55,000 in damages to a woman who complained Selwyn Leeks sexually
abused her while she was his patient in 1979-1980.
2006-0727 - Newstalk ZB - Last
forum for former patients
Former patients of psychiatric hospitals have until Monday to register for
the last forum to be held in Hamilton
in October. The confidential forum will give patients, their family and staff
the chance to share their experiences at hospitals.
2006-0726 - NZ Herald -
Former psychiatric hospital Lake Alice sold
2006-0726 - Newstalk ZB -
Mystery surrounds Lake Alice buyer
2006-0727 - Dominion Post -
Lake Alice snapped up
by Britton Broun - Lake Alice psychiatric hospital near Wanganui has been
sold
2006-0726 - Manawatu
Standard - Lake Alice extradition bid 'too soon'
by Mervyn Dykes - Police say calls to extradite a former head of Lake Alice
psychiatric hospital from Australia to face charges in New Zealand are
premature. "It is far too early to talk about extradition," the
officer heading the inquiry, Christchurch-based Detective Superintendent
Malcolm Burgess, said yesterday. There have been calls from some former Lake Alice
patients for psychiatrist Selwyn Leeks to be extradited to face charges of
abusing patients at the hospital's adolescent unit, which closed in 1978.
2006-0725 - Manawatu
Standard - Lake Alice patients urged to back extradition
by Mervyn Dykes - Former patients of Lake Alice
psychiatric hospital who suffered abuse from staff in the 1970s are being
urged to join an extradition call against a former head of the unit. "We
are calling one final time for the children of Lake Alice
to come forward," said the chief executive of the Citizen's Commission
on Human Rights, Steve Green, last night.
2006-0721 - Manawatu
Standard - Lake Alice doctor quits
The psychiatrist accused of mistreating young patients at Lake Alice
Hospital in the 1970s has
effectively handed in his medical licence in Australia, the New Zealand Herald
reports today. Selwyn Leeks was today to face a disciplinary hearing, accused
of unprofessional conduct, in Melbourne
2006-0721 - Stuff - Lake Alice
psychiatrist hands in licence
NZPA - Dr Selwyn Leeks, the psychiatrist accused of mistreating young
patients at Lake Alice Hospital in Manawatu in the 1970s, has handed in his
medical licence in Australia, on the eve of a disciplinary hearing against
him.
2006-0721 - NZ Herald - Lake Alice
doctor pre-empts tribunal
Dr Selwyn Leeks, the psychiatrist accused of mistreating young patients at Lake Alice
Hospital in the 1970s,
has effectively handed in his medical licence, on the eve of a potentially
damning disciplinary hearing. The elderly doctor, who had been practising in Melbourne, was to go
before a disciplinary panel, accused of unprofessional conduct.
2006-0708 - Waikato
Times - Return to Tokanui
by Lester Thorley - Tokanui
Hospital has not been caught
up in historical complaints levelled at some of the others. In total, more
than 300 former patients, from psychiatric hospitals from Auckland to Otago, have alleged abuse. The
Government has paid out $10.7 million to 183 people, but has refused to hold
an inquiry. It apologised and paid out $6.5 million in compensation in 2001
to 95 former Lake
Alice patients over
allegations of ill-treatment and sexual abuse by staff and other patients.
Complaints are still being investigated at Lake Alice
and Porirua.
2006-0706 - Dominion Post
- Former patients fight court ruling
More than 150 former mental hospital patients suing for alleged abuse and
mistreatment are fighting a court ruling that severely reduces the scope of
their claims. The claims, each of up to $500,000 for what happened in the
1960s and 1970s, were cut back to allegations of sex abuse, and mistreatment
of informal patients before April 1972.
2006-0607 - Radio NZ - Police
review file on former Lake Alice doctor
The police are reviewing their file on a former head doctor at Lake Alice
psychiatric hospital near Wanganui, following a fresh complaint of abuse.
Last year the police closed their investigation into Dr Selwyn Leeks over
complaints of abuse by former patients at the child and adolescent unit he
headed between 1972 and 1977. The adolescent unit closed in 1978.
2006-0606 - NZ Herald - Focus back
on doctor after new child abuse claim
 by Martin Johnston - Psychiatrist
Dr Selwyn Leeks' extradition to New Zealand has become an open question
again, after a fresh complaint of child abuse was laid by a former patient.
Detective Superintendent Malcolm Burgess, from the Police Commissioner's
office, said yesterday that he was reviewing complaints from former patients
of the long-closed Lake
Alice Hospital
near Wanganui that they were abused by staff. Dr Leeks, who is living in Australia, headed
the hospital's child and adolescent unit, which closed in the 1970s. Mr
Burgess is reviewing 35 complaints, including one new one.
2006-0606 - One News - Lake Alice
site for sale
Former Mental Health Unit Lake Alice has been put up for sale by the
Whanganui District Health Board. .........The former psychiatric hospital has
a checkered history, after allegations by former patients that they were
abused by a psychiatrist in the 1970s.
2006-0605 - Dominion Post
- Mental hospital staff may face charges
by Hank Schouten - The Crown Law Office is deciding whether former Porirua Hospital staff should be prosecuted
over allegations of child abuse. Former patients at the now-closed mental
hospital have battled for years for compensation. About 120 former patients
say they were abused, beaten, raped or given electric shock treatment as
punishment while kept in the hospital during the 1960s and 1970s.
2006-0604 - One News -
Psychiatric hospital investigated
Police have been called in to investigate the claims of 300 former patients
who say they were mentally, physically and sexually abused at Porirua Psychiatric Hospital almost 40 years
ago. The group has already begun a class action suit against the government,
seeking an inquiry and compensation for the trauma they suffered as children
of the state while at the country's largest psychiatric institution at the
time
2006-0526 - Manawatu
Standard - Former patient not interested
by Anna Wallis - Mr McMahon was at Lake Alice from age 13 to 16. He says he
was raped and tortured at the hospital, and injected with the painful drug
paraldehyde and given electroconvulsive shock treatment without anaesthetic
2006-0526 - Manawatu
Standard - Ex-Lake Alice boss in Oz sex inquiry
by Anna Wallis - Lake Alice's former head psychiatrist, who's facing charges
in Australia on the use of electric-shock treatment and pain-inducing
injections on children at the hospital, has also been accused of sexual
misconduct by a Melbourne patient. Selwyn Leeks, who was in charge of Lake Alice's
child and adolescent unit between 1972 and 1977, is being investigated by the
Victorian Medical Practioners' Board over what happened in New Zealand.
2006-0518 - Manawatu
Standard - Lake Alice complex up for sale
by Anna Wallis - The former Lake
Alice "house of
horrors" psychiatric hospital is up for sale - including a water tower
and secure prison unit.
2006-0310 - NZ Lawyer -
Reliable Evidence and Due Process Revisited
by Lynley Hood - Nonetheless, Mr Cameron’s comment comes as no surprise.
Anyone who questions the reliability of any evidence in any child abuse case
is bound to be accused, sooner or later, of “denying the reality of child
abuse”. Interestingly, those who question the reliability of the evidence in
murder cases are never accused of “denying the reality of
murder”. Of course murder happens. Of course child abuse happens.
So why are those who raise questions about child abuse investigations being
attacked in this way? Is the evidence in some cases too fragile to withstand
close scrutiny? Is accusing one’s questioner of being “in denial” an attempt
to shut down the debate?
Related articles:
NZ Lawyer October 25
2005; Reliable evidence and due process
NZ Lawyer January 27 2006;
Reliable research and due thought?
2006-0202 - The Press -
Exposing abuse
by Steve Green - Our commission has exposed deep sleep treatment at
psychiatric hospitals as well as the abuse of young people in Lake Alice.
The Government has acknowledged these abuses and in most cases has
compensated the victims
2006-0127 - NZ Lawyer -
Reliable research and due thought?
by Grant Cameron - Lynley Hood has done herself a disservice with her recent
article entitled “Reliable evidence and due process” (NZ Lawyer issue 28, 28
October 2005). Her article demonstrated a serious misunderstanding of what
the determination process in the Lake
Alice case was all
about and why, more generally, “state and church” institutions might choose
to embark on alternative dispute resolution processes. However, much worse is
her implication that Sir Rodney Gallen, one of the country’s most respected
jurists, erred in the conclusions he expressed in his 2001 report to the
Solicitor-General
Related articles:
NZ Lawyer October 25
2005; Reliable evidence and due process
NZ Lawyer March 10 2006;
Reliable evidence and due process revisited
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